Renaming My Big Black Lion of a Shelter Cat

Hubby and I went to the humane society today to pick out the kitten that he promised me for Christmas.

Three hours later, we left with a 12-pound 4-year old poofy man-cat who basically looks like a big inky lion and thinks that headbutting is a great way to initiate kisses. I am so in love with him.

His placard declared his name was Mason, which really depressed me until I learned that he's actually a stray who was nicknamed Mason by the people who found him and brought him to the pound. I'm glad, because that means he has no attachment to the name...and he is CERTAINLY not a Mason.

He's such a magical, majestic creature, the perfect familiar...and simultaneously the biggest snugglepuss you ever did see! He loves to cuddle, burrow into laps, give and receive kisses, and have his belly rubbed. He has very long claws, but I have yet to feel the prick of them, even when he's purring and kneading. He's large-boned and very fluffy, with a leonine mane...not flat-faced. His eyes are huge and a very interesting shade of green...they look almost turquoise in some lights.

I would love a wizardly sort of name for him...nothing too pretentious or solemn, but still with that magickal aura about it. A subtle reference to his coloring would be nice...he's a very inky black, like raven feathers.

I took in a similar creature--massive velvety black British shorthair that's been running loose in the n'hood for a couple years. I named him Bear (short for Blackbear), but considered Bird (he has jowls like CharlieParker), Raven, Hoover (he vacuums up his meals), Elvis, and Clive (since he's apparently got British origins). Good luck!

The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isn't just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there's the name that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or BillBailey--
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,
Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter--
But all of them sensible everyday names.
But I tell you, a cat needs a name that's particular,
A name that's peculiar, and more dignified,Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,
Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,
Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum-
Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond there's still one name left over,
And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover--
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name.